Consolidated Shipping Hacks: Slash 40% Off Your Shipping Costs by Merging Orders from Different E - commerce Sites
Shipping costs can significantly inflate the total expense of online shopping, especially when ordering from multiple Chinese e-commerce platforms. However, with the right strategies and tools, you can cut down on these costs substantially. This article will explore how to consolidate orders from various e-commerce platforms to reduce shipping fees by up to 40% through the use of freight forwarding services.
Consolidating orders involves sending products from different e-commerce platforms, such as Taobao, 1688, JD, and Temu, to a freight forwarding company's warehouse, commonly known as a consolidation warehouse. Once all your items arrive at the warehouse, you can then request to combine them into fewer packages, a process often referred to as "package consolidation" or "co-boxing."
When placing orders on Taobao, 1688, JD, or Temu, instead of entering your home address, you'll input the address of the freight forwarding company's warehouse. For example, if you're using a service like Benniao Haitao, they will provide you with a unique warehouse address. Make sure to include any specific identification numbers or codes they assign to you. This ensures that when your packages arrive at the warehouse, they can be properly associated with your account.
After all your orders have reached the consolidation warehouse, you'll log into your account on the freight forwarding company's website or app. Look for the "package consolidation" or "co-boxing" option. Benniao Haitao, for instance, has a straightforward interface where you can select the packages you want to combine. You'll typically need to confirm the details, such as the number of items in each package and any special instructions.
Freight forwarding companies calculate shipping fees based on either the actual weight or the volume weight of your package, whichever is greater. Volume weight is determined by multiplying the length, width, and height of the package (in centimeters) and then dividing by a specific divisor, usually 5000 or 6000. For example, if a package measures 30cm x 20cm x 10cm, its volume weight would be (30 x 20 x 10) / 5000 = 1.2 kilograms. If the actual weight of the package is 1 kilogram, the shipping fee will be calculated based on the volume weight of 1.2 kilograms.
First, create an account on the BH(Benniao Haitao) website or app. Once registered, you'll be able to access the warehouse address details. Here's a sample template for filling in the address when ordering from Chinese e-commerce platforms:
Keep an eye on the shipping status of your orders from Taobao, 1688, and Temu. Once they show as delivered to the Benniao Haitao warehouse, log into your Benniao Haitao account. Navigate to the "Package Management" section, where you should see a list of all the packages that have arrived at the warehouse.
Select the packages you want to combine and click on the "Consolidate Packages" button. You may be prompted to review the items in each package, remove any unwanted items, or request special handling, such as removing the original packaging. Confirm your request, and Benniao Haitao will start the process of repacking your items into a more compact package.
After the consolidation is complete, Benniao Haitao will calculate the shipping fee based on the new package's weight and dimensions. You'll be presented with the total cost and various shipping options. Choose the option that best suits your needs and budget, and then proceed to pay for the shipping.
Many products come in bulky and heavy original packaging. By requesting the freight forwarding company to remove the original packaging and replace it with a more minimalistic one, you can reduce the weight of your package by up to 30%. This directly translates into lower shipping costs, especially when the fees are calculated based on weight.
To avoid excessive dimensional weight charges, it's crucial to optimize the size of your boxes. Here's a simple formula to calculate the volume weight:
Volume Weight(kg)=5000or6000Length(cm)×Width(cm)×Height(cm)
If you have items that are large but lightweight, consider splitting them into multiple smaller boxes. For example, if you have a large, fluffy blanket that takes up a lot of space but weighs very little, packing it in a smaller box on its own can prevent it from being charged a high volume weight based on the large dimensions of a single box that also contains other items.
Let's take the example of a shopper who placed five separate orders on Taobao, 1688, and Temu. Each order had its own shipping fee, and when shipped individually, the total cost amounted to $50. However, by using Benniao Haitao's package consolidation service:
The shopper shipped all five orders to the Benniao Haitao warehouse.
Requested package consolidation, and the company removed the original packaging to reduce weight and repacked the items into a more efficient box.
After calculating the shipping fee based on the new, consolidated package's volume weight, the total cost dropped to $30.
This represents a significant 40% savings in shipping costs, demonstrating the effectiveness of using freight forwarding services and package consolidation to cut down on expenses when shopping across multiple Chinese e-commerce platforms.
In conclusion, by understanding the package consolidation process, mastering the use of freight forwarding tools like Benniao Haitao, and implementing smart money-saving strategies, you can significantly reduce your shipping costs when shopping on various e-commerce platforms. Start consolidating your orders today and enjoy the savings!
